


299,792,458 m/s

by Rehearsal_Dweller



Series: The Speed of Light [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 17:15:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2436599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rehearsal_Dweller/pseuds/Rehearsal_Dweller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An exploration of Will's time at Camp Half-Blood: wars, friends, weird coping mechanisms and all.</p><p>(the speed of light)</p>
            </blockquote>





	299,792,458 m/s

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus points for anybody who catches the light pun.

Will started at Camp when he was 10.  When he was claimed, he was pretty sure that the gods had made a mistake; there was no way he was a son of Apollo. He was an absolute mess when it came to music (though he certainly didn’t lack enthusiasm), and after the Incident, it was generally agreed upon that he shouldn’t be expected to go far in archery.

“I said I was _sorry_!” he said for what had to be the twelfth time.

“You shot me with an arrow!” replied Abby. Abby was usually the best thing about Camp for Will – they’d been friends at school and brought here together – but she wasn’t exactly happy with him just now.

“It was an accident!”

“You still shot me!”

“By accident!”

“I hate to interrupt, really I do,” the older camper who was patching Abby up said, “but you need to stop squirming, girly. You can go back to yelling at my brother when the bandage is on.”

“Sorry, Eloise,” said Abby, going still.

“You know, Will, not all of us Apollo kids are archers or musicians,” Eloise said. “I could use a hand around the infirmary. I could train you up.”

Abby kicked Will playfully. “As long as nobody ever lets him near a bow again.”

And that day Camp got a whole lot better.

\--

When he was 13, Will almost met his dad.

He didn’t _actually_ get to meet Apollo, but he did get to watch the sun chariot crash rather dramatically into the lake. It was awesome.

That was also the day he met Nico. Of course, the bright, enthusiastic kid he met that day was very much not the same person the next time they crossed paths, but Will didn’t know that yet.

He could tell, after the Hunters and Thalia (and Percy) left, that Nico was upset. So he did what he could to keep him distracted – after all, who _wouldn’t_ be upset after their sister ran off and left them behind?

He asked questions about Apollo, tried to learn the game that the kid was obsessed with, taught him how to notice when one of the Hermes kids had taken something when your back was turned.

But before Will knew it, Nico was gone.

\--

In between almost getting killed by a stray arrow and making sure that Abby didn’t get stabbed, Will had time to be very, very impressed with Nico’s abilities.

And then very, very worried.

“Di Angelo needs help,” he said, trying to get up.

“Oh no you don’t,” replied his sister Melody, pushing him back to the ground. “No healing until you’re healed! You’ll just make things worse.”

“At least get Eloise to help him,” Will insisted.

Melody and Abby exchanged sad looks.

“Will,” Abby said carefully, “Eloise is dead.”

“What?”

Melody busied herself with fussing over Will’s injuries, leaving Abby to do the talking.

“El – she’s gone. I’m so sorry,” she said quietly, gently touching his shoulder.

Will usually found physical contact comforting, but just now it felt empty. He shrugged her hand off. “Guess that makes me head medic then.”

“Guess it does,” replied Abby, looking concerned. “Will –“

“Mel, I’m fine. Go check around on everyone,” Will ordered.

“I’m not sure that’s a good –“

“Go.”

Melody did as she was told.

Abby shook her head, sighing. “Will, sweetheart…”

“Is Nico still down?” asked Will.

Abby glanced over her shoulder. “No. Percy made sure he got some ambrosia or something and now they’re both gone.”

“He wore himself out,” Will said, distracted. “He should be resting.”

“Could you maybe concentrate on your own health for a minute?” Abby interrupted. “You need to go inside. Do you want your cabin, my cabin, or the infirmary?”

“I need to look after –“

“ _Will._ ”

“Abby.”

“Infirmary it is,” Abby said after a long moment. “That way you can check in on everybody else without sacrificing your own health. Okay?”

Will nodded. “Let’s go.”

\--

By the time he was 15 Will had relaxed a bit. By necessity, he was a little better at dealing with siblings and friends dying.

He’d moved up in ranks within the cabin – he was now second in command after Michael, since Lee Fletcher died in the battle last summer – and within Camp. It was looking more and more like his talents were going to be unfortunately necessary before the end of summer.

For most of the summer, they tried to pretend that things were all right. They weren’t, of course, and everyone _knew_ that. This summer the training _meant_ something, and everybody was bracing themselves for war. But it was nice, the pretending.

Until, of course, they couldn’t pretend anymore.

After a summer of tense almost-nearly-fighting and acting like things were okay, it was almost a relief when everything finally came to something. Almost.

It went by so fast, a blur of traps and fighting and then Michael was gone and Annabeth was poisoned and the next thing Will knew, Abby had forced him into a chair and was snapping about two inches from his nose.

“Will. _Wiiiill_. Will.”

“What?”

“Oh thank Apollo,” Abby breathed. “What did you _do_? You’re white as a sheet and I’ve been trying to get your attention for like two minutes.”

“Annabeth –“

“Oh,” said Abby. “You used up all your energy trying to – to heal her, didn’t you? Was she really that bad?”

Will nodded.

“Oh my gods.”

He couldn’t afford to stay in one place and let Abby fuss over him. People were dying.

When it was all over, it really felt like Will’s work had still only just begun. They were alive, but they weren’t all whole.

No one was whole but Percy Jackson, but considering everything else that had happened to him, Will couldn’t really find it in himself to begrudge the kid his lack of injuries.

“Is Nico still around?” Will asked absently around a sandwich three days after the war ended.

“What is it with you and _Nico_?” muttered Abby.

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Never mind,” Abby replied, shaking her head. “Yeah, he’s still here. I think half of the Ares cabin is in love with him, after that save he pulled.”

“Let’s go find him,” Will said, standing up.

“Finish your snack first,” Abby chided.

“Yeah, okay.”

Will made a point to seek Nico out after that. He tried to invite Nico to join him for camp activities or even just snack time with Abby, but the longer that the son of Hades stayed, the more he seemed to be looking for a reason to leave.

“He’s pushing everybody away,” Will complained. “This is ridiculous. He’s fourteen and his family is dead; where is he even going to _go_?”

“It’s a coping thing, isn’t it?” Abby mused. “It must be.”

“Huh?”

“Your Nico thing,” Abby said.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” replied Will.

“Of course you don’t.”

\--

“Heya, Will, you seen Percy anywhere?”

“No, why?”

“Neither has anybody else. Annabeth’s starting to get worried.”

“Oh, well, I’ll keep an eye out.”

“Good, thanks.”

\--

“Oh, hey, it’s my replacement,” Abby commented, leaning against the doorway.

“What?” replied Will.

Abby nodded at the sickly pale, angry-looking 13-year-old walking away from Annabeth.

“Nico. He doesn’t look happy, though, so now might not be the best time for a ‘why don’t you ever stick around’ chat,” said Abby.

Will elbowed her. “Well, he has just been talking to Annabeth. Probably about Percy. S’not surprising he’s not happy.”

“I’ve never quite understood why he and Annabeth don’t get on,” Abby said.

“Don’t get along?” repeated Will. “I thought everybody was convinced he had a thing for her.”

“Nah. That’s resentment, not poorly-concealed affection,” Abby said. She shook her head. “He and Annabeth could be devastating as allies, though. Nobody would stand a chance against Athena cabin’s team at capture the flag!”

Will laughed. “In times of trouble, leave it to an Athena girl to get caught up in strategic advantages for _camp games_.”

“Aw, shut up,” said Abby, bumping him with her shoulder. “We’re not at war anymore. Percy’ll turn up eventually and it’ll all be fine.”

\--

Percy didn’t turn up, but Jason Grace, Piper McLean, and Leo Valdez sure did.

And with Jason Grace came the threat of another war.

Hoo-ray.

On the upside, there wasn’t any tragic, drawn-out build-up this time. They went from New Great Prophecy to Final Battle in under a year.

It was probably a record.

And Will was almost certain he’d made a friend in Nico di Angelo.

At least, he was during the battle. Talking to him, bickering with him… it had felt natural. He _thought_ Nico was on the same wavelength.

Two days of frantic people-healing later, and it was looking rather like he’d been wrong.

When he finally convinced the son of Hades to spend a few days in the infirmary, Will was quite proud.

Until exactly the moment that Abby started talking.

“I see he finally found you,” she said to Nico as Will settled him on the cot next to hers.

“What?” said Nico.

“Will’s been talking about you constantly for the last few ye- _days_ ,” Abby explained, grinning mischievously. “Honestly, you’re all I’ve heard about since I got here. No word about casualties or peace agreements, just ‘ _brave but stupid’_ this and ‘ _why hasn’t he visited yet’_ that.”

Will tossed a pillow at her.

“Really?” asked Nico, sounding genuinely surprised.

Abby’s teasing smile softened. “Yeah. I think he was worried you’d run off and shadow-travelled yourself to death.”

Nico gave Will a sort of disbelieving half-smile.

Instead of letting himself focus on how warm that little almost-smile made him feel, Will turned his attention to Abby. “Abs, I need to check your bandage.”

Abby sat up and adjusted her shirt to accommodate him. To Nico, she said, “I’m Abby, by the way. Abigail Hill, daughter of Athena. I know who you are, of course. Who doesn’t?”

“People keep saying stuff like that,” Nico said. “That they’ve heard about me, that a lot of people have. Honestly, I kind of thought people would be glad to forget about me when I wasn’t here.”

“No way, man,” said Will. “You’re a legend here.”

“I’m pretty sure there are newbie campers who don’t believe you exist,” added Abby, grinning. “Ow! Will, stop it.”

“Next time don’t get yourself poisoned, and I won’t have to.”

Abby groaned dramatically and tried to flop onto the bed. Will didn’t let her, of course, because he was still trying to _heal_ her, but she got her point across.

For the next three days, Will kept half an eye on Nico pretty much all the time. He wasn’t entirely certain he trusted that Nico wouldn’t just disappear if he looked away too long.

For his part, Nico _didn’t_ actually go running off. He kept his word: three days in the infirmary, and afterward he stuck around Camp. He even stopped in and visited with Will periodically.

(Will was pretty sure they were actually friends now. That was cool.)

They were having a picnic by the strawberry fields when somebody kicked Will ( _fairly_ gently) in the middle of the back.

“I hate to break up this cozy little chat,” Abby’s voice said somewhere above him, “but, alas, I must. Mom’s here, time to go.”

“One more minute?” replied Will.

Abby chuckled and started to walk away. “ _One_ minute. Just kiss ‘im good-bye and let’s go. It’s not like we won’t be back in two weeks.”

Will flushed bright red. “ _Abby_.”

Abby’s laughter didn’t fade until she was most of the way back to the big house.

“I thought she was a daughter of Athena,” said Nico, who had apparently decided it was best to pick and choose what parts of Abby’s speech to pay attention to. (Always a good practice, in Will’s experience.) “But it can’t be Athena driving you home for your visit.”

Will chuckled. “Nah. Abby’s my step-sister on the mortal side.”

“ _Oh_ ,” said Nico. Was Will imagining it, or did he look a bit relieved? “Weird.”

“Yeah.”

“Will!” Abby called from somewhere far away. “Your one minute’s up!”

Nico smiled. “Have fun at home.”

“You’re still off shadow-travel ‘till I get back,” Will said. “So don’t go disappearing.”

“I won’t, promise.”

Will patted Nico on the shoulder and took off after Abby.

Home sounded great right about now.


End file.
